Arya
by Lightning7771
Summary: This will be a series of stories in Arya's perspective. This will in no means be in chronological order and if you comment, I will write a story in Arya's perspective based on your quote from the original series. I may also include side stories that fit in with the original plot. I may be a little lenient when it comes to Eragon and Arya's relationship...
1. Chapter 1

AN: Christopher Paolini owns the inheritance cycle. Not me.

[From Eragon _Between these two rode a raven-haired elven lady, who surveyed her surroundings with poise. Framed by long black locks, her deep eyes shone with a driving force. Her clothes were unadorned, yet her beauty was undiminished. At her side was a sword, and on her back a longbow with a quiver._]

Arya glanced at the pouch sitting on her lap again. Something in the air didn't sit well with her. She had traversed this path countless times before. Their route was a well-kept secret. She shook off her doubts and gazed at the unending road. For it was unending, back and forth they had carried the egg. Yet, it refused to break open and mark its rightful rider.

She was still buried in her doubts when Faolin suggested him and Glenwing switch formations. She articulated her assent and they swapped places. In an instant, the horses snorted and tossed their heads. She glanced around, as did her companions. As the horses were elf-bred ones, she knew they would not react that way unless danger was imminent. As one, they turned their horses and galloped the way they came. She sped up in front of her guard's horses as planned.

Blood red hair and pale skin are all she registered before she heard a shout of, "Garjzla!" A red bolt sprang into existence as expected. It sped towards her so that she had no chance to escape. With a fateful stroke of luck, it hit her steed instead. With no time for sentimentality, she leapt off of it with an elf's speed. She knew she shouldn't have but, she looked back at her guards. They had been slain by the Urgals' black arrows. She couldn't help but stare at their blood pooling into the grass.

When the Shade called for the Urgals to go after her, she couldn't suppress the cry of pain. Glenwing and Faolin were dead. She should surely be dead as well. She tentatively stepped towards them. Another thought flashed to Faolin, but she tamped it down. It was time to go, all was not lost yet. She sprinted into the forest and didn't allow herself to look back.

Smoke, the Shade must've set her part of the woods on fire. She could feel it pressing in on her, as well as her enemies. As the Urgals rushed toward her, she whipped out her sword. The adrenaline and rage coursing through her veins made her feel stronger. They came rushing into the clearing with their guttural war cries. She met them with a deceptively calm disposition. With deadly precision made from years of training, she dispatched the Urgals.

A slight whoosh of air from above was all that warned her of the shade approaching her. He landed in front of her. She tried to escape, but the Urgals had her trapped. She couldn't fight all of them and the Shade. Instead, she held her head high, ready to die for the defenseless egg in her possession. Still, there was one thing she could try.

When the beasts made to overwhelm her, she took the dormant sapphire stone from the pouch. Raising it above her head she muttered the teleportation spell in the ancient language. The words flew off her lips quickly, but accurately. As she felt the magic take hold, she knew the egg would be safe from the Shade. She also knew the Shade had sent a curse towards her. Before it hit her though, she smiled faintly at her last deed for the egg.

_Brom, I trust the egg to your care now._

A burst of red flame, then the darkest black she had ever seen.

_This was my first chapter, it was pretty close to the original, as far as plot because of how fast everything in this part of the story went. Future entries will be more developed and differ from the plot somewhat. Please read and review._


	2. Dancing With Swords

Dancing With Swords

[From Inheritance "Will one of you cross swords with me for a few minutes?" he asked, raising his voice.]

She looked towards him and considered his offer for a few moments. However, she felt something like sparring would become too intimate for him. Luckily, Wyrden stepped forward to keep Eragon busy for now. She stayed with the group of elves and looked on from distance.

_He is too assured of his skill level, although fighting regular foot soldiers would do that to him._

She watched as Wyrden started to understand his fighting style. Eragon relied too much on the fact that most of the soldiers he would have fought would have been dead by now. After four hits, Eragon seemed finished.

_His pride has been smothered a bit. It may do him some good._

She turned to leave, but she saw that Eragon was walking towards her.

[From Inheritance "Arya what about you? We've only sparred together that one time in Farthen Dûr." His grin widened, and he flourished Brisingr. "I've gotten a bit better since then."

"So you have."

"What say you, then?"]

He seemed to think that she would be an easier target. Instead of being indignant, she said, "Why not?" She knew she shouldn't be permitting this type of activity between them, but she couldn't be a coward either. That is what she told herself anyway.

As Arya prepared her sword, she tried to look as emotionless as possible. This would be strictly professional, Eragon clearly needs to improve his techniques.

When they were both ready, she just stood there and faced him. In the spur of the moment, she had an idea. Then when he was close enough, she smiled at him. She made her eyes soft as she gazed into his, while her arm slashed out with her sword. As she expected, he was not prepared and left himself open to attack. She quickly lashed out and stabbed him in the stomach.

After she had dispatched him, she wondered why she had chosen such a flirtatious action. Surely this was not a wise decision based on his past actions. Why was she dredging up these old wounds in such a way? Fighting always seemed to do this to her. Yet, she knew that before she had accepted his offer to spar.

She broke off those thoughts before they could get any deeper. Eragon was writhing on the ground, it seemed that she had hit him harder than necessary. He was gasping erratically and looked ready to pass out. His breath came back with a whoosh and she waited for the outburst that would surely follow.

[From Inheritance "You cheated," he said between gritted teeth.

"No, I exploited a weakness in my opponent. There is a difference."

"You think… that is a weakness?"]

She was tempted to say yes. His feelings have made him distracted and has distracted her from her duties as well. She also noticed that he seemed to use some of his energy to erect wards around her in battle. Still, she felt she needn't be that cruel.

"In battle, yes. Would you like to continue?"

He yanked Brisingr out of the ground and stood at the ready again. He was not one to give up that easily. She lifted her sword as well.

Eragon seemed more cautious this time. Arya started creeping towards him, her gaze never wavering. He looked stiff. A slight twitch of her arm and he flinched.

_Afraid now are we?_

He tensed and swung with brute force. She easily blocked and parried his swing. He tried to use her maneuver and push her back, but she dodged his clumsy attempt. She then came back and gripped his neck in a choke hold, with her sword poised to strike at his neck.

[From Inheritance "I could have removed your head as easily as plucking an apple from a tree."]

She let go and prepared for their third bout. Sparring with Eragon was fairly amusing, she had to admit.

He lunged towards her, his emotions clearly taking a hold of him. They fought with all their strength, clashing their swords together so that they rang like bells. She went on the offense and swept towards his legs, when he parried, she dodged. He ended up trying to undercut her, but it was too easy to block and follow up with a light slash at his stomach.

She didn't move for a couple of moments, her face was too close to his. If he leaned in.. She carefully moved away and sheathed her sword.

[From Inheritance "You have become too accustomed to fighting Galbatorix's soldiers. They cannot hope to match you, so you take chances that would otherwise prove your undoing. Your attacks are too obvious-you should not rely on brute strength- and you have grown lax in your defense."

"Will you help me?" he asked. "Will you spar with me when you can?"]

She paused at this. Would she be able to keep this strictly professional? Still though, sparring with Eragon was admittedly enjoyable. He also needed practice.

"Of course."

Then, she walked away and made herself distant from Eragon, as she always had.

_Next one will be a sparring session that was not described in the book...R and R._


	3. Cutting With Swords

Cutting with Swords

Almost every time the Varden stopped to rest, they went off to the edge of the camp and sparred together. Even though she preferred not to be alone with Eragon, their sparring became increasingly disruptive. Also, being around so many other people wore down on her over time. Admittedly, sparring with Eragon helped her keep her mind off of things.

Eragon had just returned from his aerial scouting atop of Saphira. He came up to her and without even asking, she unsheathed her sword. She began putting wards over her sword as Eragon did the same. She made sure to review the wards a second time and lightly tested it on her hand. Their sparring was too rough for such mistakes.

She took a look at her sword, it wasn't unique and hadn't belonged to her for long. She had lost the sword gifted to her by her father when she was captured in Gil'ead. It had the sprawling design of a white raven on it and soft leather with grooves made for her hand. Her mother gave her this sword from her weapon stores. There was nothing sentimental in it, the sword almost served as a symbol to their relationship. It was practical though, the metal was enchanted and the steel was well-tempered.

She realized she was just staring at her sword and Eragon was staring at her.

"Ready?" she challenged.

He grunted his assent and they began circling each other. There was a tinge of weariness to the way he carried himself. He must've noticed her scrutinizing gaze because he straightened his posture and tried to look more alert. She chose that moment to lunge out with her sword.

He answered with a strong parry and tried to push her back. She kicked out with her leg and caught him a little bit off balance. He nimbly dodged her swipe to the chest though. Immediately after he came back and went on the offense with an undercut towards her ribs.

_His attacks are even more obvious than usual._

She blocked it and knocked his sword out of his hand. It landed in the grass with a soft thump. Eragon could only stand there as she went to "cut" his chest open. In the instant before she was about to strike at him though, something tugged at one of her wards. She realized which ward it was too late.

When she slashed at his stomach, a spray of blood splashed onto the ground. Eragon numbly stared at his blood and looked mildly confused.

"Arya?" he breathed. He touched the deep cut on his stomach and fell back onto the ground. Arya just looked on with shock.

_My wards were good, I checked. Somebody must have tampered with them. I don't understand, was it someone from Du Vrangr Gata?_

After the split second it took to consider those thoughts, she dropped her sword and crawled next to Eragon's still body.

"Waíse Heille!" she intoned calmly. She could not afford to make a mistake while healing him. He was the last free rider of Alagaesia, he was the Varden's last hope and if an elf killed their rider, she didn't want to think about that. Somebody must have done this. She sensed no one nearby though.

Upon further consideration, she realized that Eragon dying would leave a hole in her life. She had come to rely on Eragon as a comrade, friend, and ally. Memories of battles they had fought in together, their journey to Du Weldenvarden and all of the good and bad experiences they had shared flooded her mind. She could not allow him to die.

She felt that her energy was getting increasingly depleted, had she cut him that deep? Feeling desperate she whispered, "Eragon please wake up I'm-".

She was cut off by the completion of her spell. Suddenly, Eragon was upright and he was staring at her strangely. When she stared back into his eyes, she realized her vision was a little blurry and her cheeks felt damp.

"Eragon," she tried again, but couldn't seem to say those words anymore. She glanced up and saw that he was leaning closer to her flushed face. She only felt the brush of his lips before she stood abruptly and stormed away. She heard his footsteps as he rushed to catch up with her.

"Arya, I'm sorry, I just thought that your feelings had changed," he pleaded. His voice sounded raw and broken.

_I thought I had already made it dangerously clear to him that we could never be._

She just kept on walking until she couldn't hear his panicked footsteps trailing behind her. Once she felt that she had composed herself sufficiently, she headed towards Nasuada's tent.

When she arrived, the guards let her pass with no hesitation.

"Nasuada, there was an attempt on Eragon's life today." She started. She went on to explain her suspicions and what had occurred. She assured her that Eragon was fine now thanks to her healing.

_Better than fine._

"I will go talk to Trianna immediately, thank you for this news." Nasuada stood up, dismissing her. Her face looked more troubled than usual. She had a great deal of respect for Nasuada, commanding the whole Varden with the limited resources she had. She was the backbone of the Varden and had to solve a lot of problems within it, this being one of them.

Once she was out of the tent, she had an absurd, but troubling thought. She wondered if someone was just looking for attention. However, getting stabbed was an insane way of getting it. Still though, why hadn't Saphira come and why was he suddenly healed as soon as she said his name? Her wards were fairly complicated as well. She tried to dismiss the idea, but it still gnawed at the back of her mind.

_I still believe he is a child. _

This realization hit her harder than she thought it would.

_So what really happened? I guess you'll just have to see...Please R and R and shout out to my first reviewer, Dream Plane! Also please answer my pill on my profile page! Till next time!_


	4. With Clouded Vision

With Clouded Vision

"Arya, can we talk?" Asked Eragon. She looked up and saw that he had approached her from behind while she was cleaning her bloody sword.

Inwardly she sighed, outwardly she just replied with, "Sure."

"Have you been avoiding me?" She felt a little bit surprised at the question. Had he forgotten what had occurred?

"So what if I have?" She replied with a touch of derision. She inwardly cringed a little bit at the harshness of her words but continued to look on blankly.

"Why?" He said the one word with so much sincerity that Arya just parted her mouth and stared for a moment.

_Could he have forgotten? Or…_

In between one moment and the next she darted into his mind. Eragon didn't even resist, he allowed her in without hesitation. The familiarity of his mind was unmistakable, different than the first time she had entered it when she first met him, but it was Eragon. Right now, it was tinged with sadness, most likely at the current situation.

"Okay, tell me that you have never kissed me in the Ancient Language." She said this bluntly and studied his features. He blushed, but still looked very confused. After a moment of composure, he gathered together the words and said them in the Ancient Language.

So, it is true. That was not Eragon. Who was it then?

She went on to tell him the story of what had occurred a fortnight ago. When she had finished, Eragon's features were slightly contorted with anger.

"How could something like this have happened. What kind of spellcaster can make a fake well enough that it could trick you?" He intoned. Then he quieted. He had probably hit the conclusion that maybe she was tricked because she didn't know him as well as he thought. Which was partly true. Then she remembered all of the doubts she was having after the encounter.

"This can't be handled by Trianna, we need to do something about this. I have a plan." She replied.

...

Another sparring session, at least that is what it would appear to be to an onlooker. Eragon and Arya made sure to be extra aware of any nearby presences. The wards they placed on their swords were made so that they could deactivate them with one word. They still went at it with all of their strength and skill. She had missed sparring with Eragon. He may not be as skilled as some of her fellow elves, but he was fun to tease and he never would give up.

She stabbed him in the heart again. They went to get into their positions again. Immediately a presence engulfed her senses, it seemed that it did the same to Eragon. She was surprised when it decided to speak to them.

_ So my plan to separate you two didn't pan out the way I wanted it to. What a pity. I should've known that the only way to do that was for one of you to die._

The voice inside her head was filled with contempt and malice. She looked up and was surprised to find herself alone.

_Another illusion? This certainly is a master spellcaster we are dealing with_.

She took off the wards on her sword and readied herself for what was to come. After a few tense moments of scanning the clearing, she heard footsteps coming towards her.

"Arya, there you are!" called out Eragon. She turned around and saw him there with his sword ready. Then he looked to the left of her and stared. She glanced beside her and saw a copy of herself there. Nothing physically could set them apart.

_Choose the real one, otherwise, their time will run short._

In an instant, there was suddenly a collar around her throat that prevented her from speaking. She felt it begin to close off her airway.

_ Stab the fake and leave with your friend, unharmed._

He went up to fake Arya and tried to cut the collar with his sword, but it did nothing.

"Give me a sign or something, please?" He begged of them.

Ropes enclosed her legs and wrists. The same had been done to the fake.

_What was the fake, was it a real person, or just created by some spell?_

She looked up at Eragon and decided that all she could do was just stare into his eyes. He looked back and forth between her and the fake. She began gagging, the collar was really starting to choke her. He seemed to begin panicking. She gave him one last look and collapsed at the same time as the fake.

A sharp stab to her stomach, then the collar gave away. She must've only been out for a few moments. She opened her eyes and saw the blood begin to pool from her stomach, it was spreading fast. The fake Arya was free and had her sword unsheathed. She began to form words to tell Eragon to watch out, but he turned and blocked the fake's attempt to behead him. In two more moments, Eragon had the fake unarmed. He knocked her out and ran to her.

"Arya?" He stared at her wound, the wound he had caused. He began healing her, he was pouring more energy into it than he should've. "I'm sorry, I should've known."

She coughed up a little bit of blood and just whispered, "It's okay, you just don't know me well enough." Then out of pity or possibly something else she added a faint, "At least not yet."

She felt her wounds closing, this was probably good enough for now. She gently removed his hands from her abdomen and gestured towards her fake lying on the grass. He understood and got up to go and interrogate her. She slowly stood up herself and walked to herself.

She had the same hair, clothing, sword and even scars as herself. Eragon made to lift her to a sitting position, but she slowly started fading away. At the same time, she felt a presence behind her begin to appear. She turned and gritted her teeth at the still residing pain in her stomach. It was one of Trianna's new spellcasters. He looked scrawny and pale, but a deep scowl seemed to be fixed to his face. His hair was blond and lacked luster. Dark circles surrounded his lifeless eyes. His sword was pointed at her neck.

"I misjudged your healing capabilities, how silly of me." He sneered. His real voice was the same as the voice he was projecting earlier. She was about to go for her sword when she realized she had dropped it in the grass. Instead, she tore out her metal sheath from her belt and faster than the spellcaster could react she blocked his sword and swept out her foot to trip him. She took his sword and pointed it at his throat. He was not a swordsman, but he was a very accomplished spellcaster, without hesitation, he began to attack her mind.

His probe was filled with the power of a battering ram. There was something augmented about his magic. Her defenses wouldn't hold out for that long. She then started her own counterattack. He began faltering a little bit at the ferocity of her attack. Little by little she drove him back into his own mind. His defenses weren't powerful enough to withstand her overwhelming attack. When she broke in she caught scattered memories of the man who had caused her so much trouble.

_A boy starving with his family. The promise of money and food from Galbatorix's army spreads through his town. It makes him forget about who was taxing his family to the point of starvation. They enlist him and find out he has an affinity for magic. Brutal training ensues, he learns many forbidden arts in the span of three months. In the process, his spirit is nearly broken. Then the planting of him in the Varden. The Varden accepts the spellcaster who managed to hide his oath to Galbatorix. He watches the dragon rider and elf spar. His plan becomes clear to him. _

Before she can go any farther into his mind, his mind closes and becomes blank. She looks down at him and sees that he had quietly died. His story wasn't uncommon in the broken place they lived in. Alagaesia was filled with others like him. It was unfortunate for him that it turned out he could use magic. She realized Eragon was still there. He had been staring at her and waiting to see how the battle of wills had turned out.

"He's dead, I must've triggered one of his oaths. We need to make sure Trianna probes newcomers more strictly, this cannot happen again." She then told Eragon about what she glimpsed in his mind.

"This is why I need to free Alagaesia." He spoke with resolve and certainty. There was also an undercurrent of pain behind his words. He looked at the spellcaster then. After all if circumstances were different, Eragon could've been that spellcaster. She looked towards him and nodded. With nothing else to say she went to return to camp and report to Nasuada.

"Wait," he called out. "I want to get to know you better, I want to be able to see you clearly."

" I do too," she replied without looking at him. Then she continued on the path and started thinking about the lines she told Eragon and herself not to cross.

_I will post one more chapter concerning this "arc" you probably know what that last chapter will be about though :) Till next time._


	5. Polls

Hey guys! Sorry, this isn't a chapter but I am thinking about what to write next. I personally am leaning towards Arya's time(torture...) in Gil'ead or Arya running to Helgrind to rescue Eragon. Please vote on my profile. Option three will be to review with a suggestion. Till next time! Vote!

~lightning7771

~lightning7771


	6. The Way of Knowing

"The Way of Knowing"

Arya never thought she would live to see the day that an elf would speak to a dragon with such disrespect. Even more astounding was the fact that Blödhgarm had been the one to do it. However, the idea of having Glaedr back revitalized her with newfound hope. It would also greatly benefit the Varden if Eragon were to improve his swordsmanship. Admittedly, having Glaedr watch her own swordsmanship was slightly unnerving.

The slight tilting of Eragon's head told her that he was speaking to Glaedr privately. However, she felt the dragon reach out to her and suddenly she was hearing everything they were saying.

[From Inheritance "_Look at her, Eragon. Look at her well. She sees you for who you are, but do you see her in return? Do you see her clearly enough to defeat her in battle?_]

_Do I see him for who he is?_

As an opponent, it was easy for her to guess what he was going to do, see tendencies, bad habits, even gauge his mood. As a person, she wasn't totally sure. In the past, she could see that he was a boy who had too much responsibility thrust on his shoulders. Then he was a broken young man who chased after her with lust. Now, he was considerably more mature and _different_. She, on the other hand, hadn't changed since Gil'ead. He hasn't truly _seen_ her yet, but she was worried that he was getting close.

When he finally looked into her eyes, she met his stare with as much confidence as she could muster. Walking through life alone has made her feel a greater need to keep herself distant. Part of that was staying neutral and not allowing too much of herself to show.

_If Eragon wants to beat me, I'm certainly not going to make it easy. If Eragon wishes to court me, well, he should stick with sparring._

He seemed to have finished analyzing her, as he started shuffling diagonally. He seemed to be repeating something he tried before. A sudden catching of his boot on a pebble drove her to take the opening and lunge for him. After he blocked her two attacks, she went for his head. She realised too late that he somehow could tell she was going to do that. Luckily, she inadvertently blocked his blow to her chest and dispatched him swiftly.

After a long pause, he got back up again and readied himself. There was anger and frustration in his glare. He limped with the residual bruises and welts from their previous bouts. She decided to goad him with a smile full of teeth and a careless toss of her hair.

He had learned from before though, not to fall for her charms. He also looked extremely focused and driven. He began to sprint to her with his sword out to the side. She immediately saw the opening and went for a slashing blow. When he dodged it she was slightly caught off guard. Her battle instincts kicked in though and allowed her to fend off his attack with her shield. He was down for a couple of moments, then they began circling again.

Despite how much they had sparred already, she felt rejuvenated somehow. Energy was coursing through her veins. His sudden leap towards her told her he felt the same. Their blades became invisible from the speed and vigour of their fight. Still though, she noticed that his eyes were locked on hers. Surprisingly, the intensity of his gaze didn't make her feel uncomfortable anymore. She still wasn't ready to lose. Her reverse pommel strike caught him off guard and took him out.

He paused again, in the midst of another lesson from Glaedr.

When he opened his eyes again, she felt like something changed in him. He looked resigned, still ready to win, but not that desperate anymore. The constant growth of Eragon intrigued her more than she'd like to admit.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Ready."

They began circling again. This time she didn't go for a smile, she kept herself more neutral. When he smiled at her, it didn't faze her at all. She sprang on him, ready to tackle him down. He dodged as expected. She stopped then and traced her sword on the ground. Suddenly, she felt this animalistic instinct inside of her to growl. She wanted to unsettle him but, she honestly hadn't planned _that_.

In turn , she bounded after him, her emotions were slipping. Despite the fact that Eragon was non-resistant, she just kept on fighting. The final blow. She realised too late that he was able to sidestep it, with her sword in the ground, all she could do was keep him in sight. It wasn't him that she was looking at though. The sun was truly blinding, black spots still danced across her vision as she felt Brisingr stab her in the ribs. She stared at Eragon, he had truly defeated her this time.

He was different again, he had managed to change so many times in this one sparring session. She knew the way that she felt towards him had definitely changed, but in what way, she still wasn't sure. This sparring session was helping her figure things out for herself as well.

_Is Eragon willing to commit, to the Varden, to the war, to me?_

She began to lose track of the sparring matches they had, but Eragon had made great progress. He managed to beat her again, afterwards though, they came to more of a standstill. Coupled with the fact that they were both tiring, they had become more evenly matched in the course of this session. She could see that he was past the point of exhaustion, but he was ready to do whatever it took. To get Glaedr's approval? To get hers?

She saw an opening and lunged for him, she still couldn't seem to gain the upper hand, neither could he. They both seemed to be in tune with each others fighting style. As their swords locked together in an unyielding embrace, she figured out more about him then, than in any conversation they had. Then he said what she most feared and subconsciously wanted.

[From Inheritance Eragon said in a low, fierce voice, "I...see...you."

A bright spark appeared in Arya's eyes, then vanished just as quickly.]

For she knew that he truly did see her as she saw him, but she knew that nothing could ever come of it. She could not allow anything to come of it and now that he has seen her, he should know why. Her sense of duty has always reigned over all of her actions in her life. She could never distract Eragon from his duty, he is a rider, he is their _only_ hope. He was the one who changed in the sparring, not her. Right then, she felt old, much older than the young man in front of her. She even wondered if she was still capable of change.

_Kind of a short chapter, but it was time to wrap up the "sparring" arc as I dub it. Thank you for reading, shout out to my reviewers. Also based on the poll, I will write the next arc on Arya's journey to Helgrind in Brisingr. Sorry for the long wait._


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